Well, a slight delay on setting up the other site. Since Xoom has spiraled downward while it's moved to NBCi, the world's most dysfunctional site in the universe, I haven't been able to get anything to load well. Nifty, though, remains realiable for all time, and thus herein you have access to this: the fourth chapter. As usual, there is no reality to this tale, and it implies nothing about the true persons whose identities and personalities are used within. One quick note before I begin. I shall, in this story, make some grand anachronisms such as changing Brian's birth year and age or assigning songs a false release date. This is, of course, something I am VERY AWARE of and INTEND to do. I'm not misinformed, I'm just willfully misconstruing reality to make my story. Remember, this is about as far from reality as you'll get. I'll warn that no information supplied in these pages can be considered true, as it's most likely been skewed to fit my world. If you don't like it, flames can be directed to the address below. Read on, if you dare.VaelynPhi@AOL.com

Les Amours d'Astre

(Et Le Gardien Du Brume)

Between the Shadows

Chapter Four

"How long can you two stay here?"

Jason and Aaron pulled themselves from each other just as abruptly as Brian had asked.

"I don't know. We have to be back at Tulane three days from now."

"I have a major exam." Aaron spoke up.

"And Jason has to make a speech. I'd hate to be the au... Ouch." Aaron pretended to be in pain as Jason's fist barely connected with his shoulder for the fifteenth time that day.

"In short, we've got only another three days to ourselves."

"Well... I have to leave here in three days myself, so that's not too bad. I hate to leave, though."

"Jason... Brian... I guess we should just make the best of it. It's not like there's much we can do about it. There should be a time later when we can all get together again. Until then, let's just try to have fun. No sense in letting the future ruin the present."

They all bounced out of the limo as it pulled into the back of the hotel. Brian had all (emphasis on the all) their stuff dragged up to the room while they took the service elevator to avoid the crowds of steamed girls outside.

It only takes one Backstreet Boy to attract this many. It's a good thing we're not all staying here.

Brian sat in what was quickly becoming his favorite chair, watching to two lovers gape at their spree slowly filling the room. There were boxes, bags, packages without any particular shape, and various other unpackaged things being tossed here and there. In sum, Brian could have filled his closet twice with the clothes alone.

When all had finally been spread about the room, Aaron and Jason collapsed into each other's arms on the bed. Now that there were no longer any hotel staff running in and out of the room they started making out. Brian sat at first, staring off into space, not really paying any attention, but muffled moans and slight gasps called his gaze to the bed where the two lovers were twisted together in each other's arms.

While mostly happy for them, he also found himself jealous. While it didn't prevent him from being any less hospitable to them-sure as hell not an ounce less hospitable, as he'd sooner part with his legs than the two lovers any earlier than he had to-he was still slightly motivated to look for what they had. Of course, being a celebrity made this a bit harder.

Brian had previously had relationships-almost all girls, so far, but for one guy with whom he never really got off the ground with in High School-but none had been truly anything close to what he now saw. Embodied in Aaron and Jason Brian had been shown what he longed for over the many years he had been alone. Nothing, now, he decided, would stop him from it.

Brian snapped out of his fourth reverie of the day to find that they had both lost their clothes. Aaron, he now saw, was very thin. Brian was convinced that he could bring his hands around Aaron's waist with space to spare. Of course, that was probably just an error in his reason, but he was, nonetheless, still thinner than Jason-who was even thinner than Brian had ever been. The two had small frames, surely, although Jason's was packed with muscle. While not as coarse with it as Jason, Aaron's body was also quite muscular, though thinly so. Jason's veins popped out of his arms and neck in various places-not greatly, but enough for a nurse to find one quickly with a needle at least. Aaron's body was white all over, and Jason had an even and dark tan from head to toe. It was a funny contrast.

Seeing Jason melt under Aaron's touch was strange also, considering their relative sizes. It was as if Jason became much smaller when Aaron embraced him, and Aaron displayed a remarkable control as a lover-especially as compared to Jason. Brian found himself analyzing their 'techniques' and merely dropped his thoughts. He remained fixed on the cinema, though.

A flash... Dark red light flooded over him, and Brian saw once more his dreams from earlier. They had slipped from his memory, but he now remembered enough of them to start to wonder. The world he was in turned dark, the red light shining around him. Aaron and Jason on the bed shone a deeper red, not quite as dark. At the balcony the grey figure appeared once more, shining with silver light. As the memories flooded back into his head, the light surrounding Brian turned to a slightly dark shade of blue.

Brian found himself asleep. Well, he found that he had fallen asleep, but was now awakened. Jason and Aaron stood above him, and he had slumped into the chair in which he was sitting. "Damn... We weren't that boring, were we?"

"No... I just... I fell asleep. I fell asleep thinking about something. But I don't think I'll talk about it right now. Sorry I missed the show."
Aaron and Jason exchanged a mutual smile.